L.A. Confidential

Play trailer

L.A. Confidential

R

1997

2h 16m

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

165 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Three policemen, each with his own motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father's killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Russell Crowe), implicated in a scandal rooted out by Exley, was one of the victims. Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (Danny DeVito).

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Taut pacing, brilliantly dense writing and Oscar-worthy acting combine to produce a smart, popcorn-friendly thrill ride.

Read Critics Reviews

Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

10/20/2021

A masterfully smart and soulful film that bows low before genre even as it betrays it.

Go to Full Review

Jay Carr

Boston Globe

10/20/2021

4/4

One of the things the film conveys, in addition to institutionalized corruption, is the energy and excitement of a city that knows it's on the move. L.A. Confidential is juicy dynamite.

Go to Full Review

David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

10/19/2021

4.5/5

Dante Spinotti's widescreen camerawork and Jeannine Oppewall`s production design brilliantly recreate the somewhat tawdry world of a glamorous city which is starting to lose its glamour.

Go to Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Jul 6

4/4

...with great skill telling several interwoven narratives that expose corruption, venality, and murder with compelling twists and turns that will leave the audience riveted until its closing frame.

Go to Full Review

Dimitris Passas

PopMatters

11/28/2023

L.A. Confidential‘s representation of a long-gone era in Los Angeles is exemplary, and the 1950s are enlivened on screen in an accurate and opulent manner.

Go to Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

03/08/2023

4.5/5

The flawless ensemble..., the masterfully written story, the vibrant yet gritty vision of 1950s LA - most everything clicks in this fittingly cynical and undeniably seductive period crime thriller that still maintains its style and sizzle.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jey D

1d

Everything I want from a neo-noir, detective thriller.

See more

Ray C

3d

I'll have to watch L.A. Confidential again at some point because I just don't get why it's so critically acclaimed. Yes, it does feature an amazing cast portraying complex characters, and I love the way it displays Los Angeles in the 50s. But the story moves at a slow pace and can feel predictable at times. I didn't find the ending to be particularly satisfying and was overall disappointed with the movie. I'm hoping my score goes up on rewatch, but for now it was definitely a letdown.

See more

Blobbo X

Nov 27

Rely on memory, Blobbo approve. Maybe MORE than approve!

See more

Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 27

I watched it because I heard it was a big deal. I can see why. It had a great cast, and a good story (but I didn't really understand it). I'm glad to have it under my belt. It's definitely a movie that you need to watch over and over to fully understand it, and enjoy, so I'll definitely see it again.

See more

Kelly M.

@OKMoore Nov 23

Great story, wonderful cast and beautifully shot from amazing locations. Can't ask for much more in a movie. "Is that how you ran the good cop bad cop?"

See more

Cory P

Nov 9

Frickin’ confusing, even watching it with subtitles. Good acting, nice to see LA in the 50’s, but still barely passable.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Curtis Hanson

Director

Kevin Spacey

Jack Vincennes

Russell Crowe

Officer Wendell 'Bud' White

Guy Pearce

Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings Exley

James Cromwell

Capt. Dudley Liam Smith

David Strathairn

Pierce Morehouse Patchett

Heat

84%

94%

Heat

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Heat

Q & A

88%

58%

Q & A

Watchlist

One Tough Cop

24%

21%

One Tough Cop

Watchlist

2 Days in the Valley

60%

54%

2 Days in the Valley

Watchlist

Night Falls on Manhattan

71%

64%

Night Falls on Manhattan

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

23 Fresh Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix in April

Rank The Freshest Movies of the 1990s

How Agent Carter Will Capture Hollywood Glam in Season Two

View more photos

Synopsis

Three policemen, each with his own motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father's killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Russell Crowe), implicated in a scandal rooted out by Exley, was one of the victims. Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (Danny DeVito).

Director: Curtis Hanson
Producer: Michael G. Nathanson, Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson
Screenwriter: Curtis Hanson, James Ellroy, Brian Helgeland
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Regency Enterprises
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.6M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now